Microsoft has filed a patent for a software that scores and reports employees working habits and behaviors. It can analyze behavioral patterns of employees on a daily basis regarding their working habits and interactions over conferences, telephone, text messages and other forms of digital communication. The range of possible monitored behaviors includes word phrases, body gestures, and mannerisms and will rely upon subjective criteria set by employer regarding what’s acceptable or not.
Examples of behaviors included are cutting off others during conversation, prolonged monologues, nodding one’s head in agreement, shaking one’s head indicating disagreement and hand gestures. Mannerisms may include visual cues such as wearing dark glasses in a video conference, wearing unacceptable clothing to a business meeting.
Facebook will build it’s first Datacenter outside of US in the northern city of Lulea, Sweden. Strategically chosen primarily because the location is just 60 miles from the Arctic Circle. The weather will provide natural thermal cooling for the server farms of the company.
Panasonic has created a hair-washing robot for the elderly and the infirm. Created with 24 high-tech fingers, so designed to mimic human hands, the robot is eyed to replace human caregivers for Japan’s ageing nation. The robot can do all the basic hair care such as shampooing, massaging the scalp, rinsing, conditioning and blow-drying.
Scientists from New Orleans’ Tulane University, discovered a bacteria that converts the dailies to butanol – a flamable material similar to gasoline. The new microbes called TU-103 eats the cellulose materials found in organic materials such as newspapers then produces butanol as by-product. Although there were other bacteria that produces similar reaction, they have all required an oxygen-free environment which would cost more. The h bacteria doesn’t need such setup. The abundance of organic materials for these bacteria to thrive on makes this a very promising alternative as bio-fuel.
Forming a seemingly “symbiotic” relationship, an Ivy plant and a computer exists in mutuality around the concept designed and created by Israeli designer Omer Deutsch. The computer is designed such that it serves as the pot for the plant while the computer uses the moisture as the cooling system. “All of the components of the computer are designed so it would know how to evolve with the changing ivy. The components can be easily replaced since they are mounted outside the box and the computer is floating in the air from the ceiling in order to let the ivy cover it in its natural way of growing,” Deutsch said.
The Secondary Growth Project envisions a hybrid of house plant and computer which serves as an organic ornament as well as a workstation at the same time.
For those who are irritated wearing the traditional head gear, this is a good news. Hovding – a protective gear for the head but is worn around the neck will be available soon. Unlike the traditional helmet, this works like an airbag that inflates when sensors detect the cyclist’s abnormal movement during an accident. The sensors will trigger the gas inflator that uses helium which deploys the helmet in 0.1 seconds. After impact, the airbag will start to deflate slowly. The helmet is made up of ultra-strong nylon fabric that won’t rip even when scraped in asphalt. Check out their site for pre-orders.
This will be China’s way of easing traffic congestion on their thoroughfares – a 3 Dimensional Fast Bus that will literally drive over smaller cars or allows smaller cars to drive through it. This could the most efficient way of handling traffic and not to mention environmentally friendly. The coaches will be powered by electricity and solar power.
A chip used in Digital Equipment's MicroVax 3000 and 6200 minicomputers carries a message in Russia's Cyrillic alphabet: "VAX--when you care enough to steal the very best." The message was intended for technicians on the other side of the Cold War who might try to reverse-engineer the VAX designs by looking closely at the originals.
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